"I hope that if a majority votes for independence, Israel will be the first state to recognize the independence of Kurdistan." That is what former Minister Gideon Saar from Likud tweeted as millions of Kurds in northern Iraq voted on a referendum on whether to declare independence on Sept. 25. Saar may have been the first Israeli politician to wish the Kurds success in their struggle for independence, but he was hardly the only one. On the other hand, Turkey, Iraq and Iran all reject the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, as does the United States, which is concerned that such a step at this point in time could lead to war in the region. Israel is the only state that has expressed support for Kurdish aspirations.
Israel's approach developed not only because it is in its strategic interests, but also because the Kurds have a moral right to statehood. It is also impossible to dismiss the long historic bond between Israel and the Kurds and the many years of cooperation between them.